Lace clothing of empress in photo call

Latest answer — September 02, 2026

1 Across

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Clue explained

SHOESTRING means a lace, while the clue humorously suggests the clothing accessory of an empress appearing at a photo call: her shoe string. The wording is a visual pun rather than a strict letter-by-letter construction.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A close-up of a string shoelace threaded through and tied on a shoe.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 02, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Lace clothing of empress in photo call
  2. 6Drop beer on the counter
  3. 10Green female wearing uniform pressed by Vincent?
  4. 11Setter and former land owner lower emission
  5. 12Fellow American is not moving drawings from vessels?
  6. 13Vicar’s digs maybe woman senses to some extent
  7. 14Radical writer introducing case for aesthetics
  8. 15Bond catches one youth crossing large barrage
  9. 17New tree beginning to leaf inside of foul city
  10. 20Pole joining another cycling in country
  11. 21Inexperienced person covering for archdeacon from island
  12. 23Twisted bone by sewer blocked by British fool
  13. 25Take over in the air when flying without introduction of adult
  14. 26Nick emptied tanker by one river after another
  15. 27Primate keeping close to bars vaulted enclosure
  16. 28Good lines within contest important for future princess

Down

  1. 1Cast piece of armour abandoned by lake
  2. 2Some journalists in a group sent up key workers
  3. 3Ostracised soldier burying explosive around old bay
  4. 4Lots of ferries originally circled by shoal quickly list
  5. 5Males recalled wings of enormous island deity
  6. 7Master essentially coerces spare guards
  7. 8Picked up harmony note inside of hall gradually
  8. 9Snag small navel decoration perhaps on black hair
  9. 14Ceramic hob in Caen needing repair
  10. 16Artist is overwhelmed by shock valuation
  11. 18Throw back mostly what may have been in pot
  12. 19Wandering about over grass covering centre of domicile
  13. 22Temperature lowered in public pool for Thai rhino
  14. 24Tense in verse one periodically raised by Yankee

The answer to “Lace clothing of empress in photo call” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is SHOESTRING — a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 2, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 1-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Lace clothing of empress in photo call” answer

SHOESTRING (10 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is SHOESTRING.

What does SHOESTRING mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of SHOESTRING is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a small or inadequate budget
  • a shoelace

When else has “Lace clothing of empress in photo call” appeared?

The Times Cryptic reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

September 2, 2026 (most recent) → SHOESTRING. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Lace clothing of empress in photo call”?

The answer is SHOESTRING, a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 2, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Lace clothing of empress in photo call”?

10 letters: SHOESTRING.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on September 2, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 1-Across.

Can “Lace clothing of empress in photo call” have a different answer?

Yes — The Times Cryptic sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Times Cryptic answers?

The full grid for September 2, 2026 is on the Times Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Times Cryptic Crossword is published by The Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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